The Mousetrap Killer

Marcus Lear Mysteries, Book 3

By: J. Kevin Earp

Narrated by: Marlin May

Former police detective Sergeant Marcus Lear’s career was ended by PTSD, the result of a gunfight with a 16-year-old burglary suspect. He has moved on by founding a company that is developing software to help law enforcement agencies solve complex criminal cases.

Now, the serial murderer known as The Mousetrap Killer claims to have struck again. Three times in the past, he announced to the police chief of Maryvale, Indiana, that an innocent victim had been taken and imprisoned in an elaborate chamber, cleverly booby-trapped and set to kill if the victim could not solve a riddle in time. The riddle would provide a clue to escaping the trap. Every day, the Killer would taunt the police until the trap was sprung and the victim died. But no victim’s body had ever been recovered, and the killer was never identified.

Now, the killer has sent another message announcing a new trap, and a new victim. Who has been dropped into that terrible prison this time? Where are they being held? And, who is the Mousetrap Killer? Desperate, the Maryvale police call on Marcus and his team to use their new and untested software application to help find the killer and the latest victim. Can the Lear team and Kat Montague, young Asian goth detective and Lear’s newest field agent, work with the local police and FBI to find the victim before time runs out?

The task force swings into action while awaiting the next message from the killer, taunting the police and perhaps providing a clue to saving the victim. But why has the killer gone silent?! While pondering this new mystery, a frightening possibility is uncovered regarding the latest victim that hits very close to home. Marcus and his people must find the trap, and the victim, before it’s too late!

©2019 J. Kevin Earp (P)2020 J. Kevin Earp

This is exciting!

I listened to the first two books in the Marcus Lear Mysteries trilogy, “Murder on Perry’s Island” and “The Corundum Conundrum.” While I enjoyed those two, “The Mousetrap Killer” is by far my favorite of the three!

Marcus Lear, his partner Jenny, disabled Ricky and his yet-unfinished crime computer program, and goth girl Kat, along with others, race against the clock to catch a serial killer who designs and sets elaborate “mousetraps” in which he imprisons his victims. They must work to solve riddles with the promise of escaping the mousetrap room where they’re held. Will any of them find the answers to the riddles and escape the rooms where they’re held?

In “Mousetrap”, the addition of a very clever serial killer adds to the overall effect of the book. Kevin Earp writes with a style that’s expressive and smoothly flowing, yet keeps one on the edge of the seat while cheering on Marcus Lear and his team to solve the crimes.

Narrator Marlin May does an excellent job narrating “Mousetrap.” He narrated the first two books in the trilogy so his familiarity with the characters and ability to maneuver the different voices - male and female - make for a very entertaining listening experience. His smooth baritone voice lends itself well to the nuances of the written material.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a novel that twists and turns and keeps you wanting more. “The Mousetrap Killer” can stand on its own but I recommend listening to the first two books first to get the background of the characters and their idiosyncrasies and personality traits.

Enjoy!

Mousetrap ... more than just a game!

“Mousetrap. I wanted to play Mousetrap. You roll your dice. You move your mice. Nobody gets hurt.”
- Bob the Tomato, VeggieTales’ The Toy That Saved Christmas

Whenever I hear the word “Mousetrap”, that scene from VegeTales immediately comes to mind - a bunch of vegetables conversing after a sledding accident in which Bob the Tomato’s eyes and nose fall off. But J. Kevin Earp’s The Mousetrap Killer puts an entirely different perspective on the word: mousetrap.

The re-emergence of a serial killer brings Marcus Lear and his team to Marysville, Indiana, where an individual known only as the Mousetrap Killer claims to have taken another victim. Known for concocting elaborate plans, the Mousetrap Killer imprisons victims in a booby-trapped room, providing them with a clue that, if answered correctly, promises escape. Marcus Lear and his team are in a race against time. Using their newly developed, yet unfinished software, can the Lear team assist the Marysville Police in finding the Mousetrap Killer and saving the victim before it’s too late?

The Mousetrap Killer is the third book in the Marcus Lear Mysteries by J. Kevin Earp. While the first book, Murder on Perry’s Island, is by far my favorite due to the major role that PTSD plays in the story, The Mousetrap Killer is my next favorite. There is something about a serial killer that ups the suspense and intensity in a story, making it harder to put down.

So, if you like playing detective and want a high-stakes case, check out The Mousetrap Killer: Marcus Lear Mysteries, Book 3. As with the other books in the series, J. Kevin Earp provides you with all the details you need to solve the mystery along with Marcus and his team. You are not only a reader, but a detective as well.

*I am related to the author and was provided with a copy of “The Mousetrap Killer: Marcus Lear Mysteries Book 3” free of charge in exchange for my review. I received no monetary compensation.